Kingdom for a Heart
by Jennifer Darknight
Summary: She repaired the pieces of his heart...The Prince's heart was now one...(SasuSaku)--Happy birthday, Aya-chan!


**Kingdom for a Heart**

**A SasuSaku fic for Aya-chan**

**_By Jennifer Darknight_**

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"Sasuke-kun?"

"Shh. Go to sleep."

And the pink-haired girl complied, rolling over and falling into a state of deep sleep once again, huddled under the comforters.

Uchiha Sasuke sat on the side of the bed, a single hand running through the young woman's hair, a slight smile gracing his features. When had her pink tresses become so smooth, so soft to the touch? When had her face looked so graceful in the moonlight, looking such like an angel coming down from heaven itself? When had her form looked so delicate, so…?

Last he had checked, she was a wide-foreheaded girl with pink hair with plenty of split ends, skin as rough as sandpaper, and a face that made him want to throw up where he stood. Her voice was shrill, not tinkling like it was now. Her body was very manly—not at all feminine with its lack curves and feet that were too large for the rest of her. Her hands were also heavily calloused, and not smooth like they were now.

But there she was, lying before him. Her soft and steady breathing caused her chest to rise and fall with sleep, her eyes fluttered shut. She was so soft, so womanly. Definitely not like the girl he had once known.

Then again…

He had never seen her at night, either.

And before…

A long time ago, there was a prince, in a tiny village called Konoha. He was well-loved by everyone, blessed with strength, looks, and a body that most men would sell their souls to the devil in order to attain. His older brother, the prince Itachi, had killed everyone in his family, and left, leaving only the prince alive, with an important thing missing.

When doing his terrible deed, the evil beast grabbed the little boy and ripped out his crystal heart, shattering it and causing it to fly in shards all around him, the small boy only being able to pick up the shards of hate and malice before they all flew away, leaving the prince alone and broken, stuck in a cage of himself.

Years passed, and he never find any of the shards of his heart. He kept hating, kept despising. He pushed away everyone that came close to him, and he fought with a fervor that was hard to understand. He wanted to kill his brother, and it wasn't just for killing his parents and running away from the village. Was it because he wanted to regain the shards of his heart? He wanted to regain his soul that he once had? Nobody quite knew. Nobody quite understood.

The Prince Sasuke grew, and he met a young common girl named Sakura. The girl had loved him since she was small, but he never paid attention to her. He was a man without a heart, and therefore, incapable of loving. But the girl wouldn't stop until she made the prince understand her feelings.

So, without realizing it, she grabbed the shards of his heart and kept giving them to him, little by little.

The Prince was confused about these emotions. What were these things that drove him so much? Why was he feeling guilty everytime he hurt someone, and everytime he pushed the girl away? Why did he suddenly wish that he didn't have to kill his brother? Why was he…what were these things that came to him?

He believed that the girl was a threat, and he had to retreat to his own private kingdom. His kingdom of darkness, of which he was the head. In times of need, he hid here, keeping all feelings bottled up inside, and never having to come out for anything—he was safe here. Safe in his own anger and sadness.

He even left the village of Konoha—his old kingdom—just to get away. Just to get away from these emotions that ran through him.

But still, Sakura kept giving him the shards of his heart. Even far away, the girl's own feelings soared to him, with his shards.

"What is she doing to me!" the Prince asked himself, his entire body writhing in agony at the feelings that were running through him. Guilt, loneliness, and pain. He didn't want them—he wanted to be what he used to be. But he couldn't now. Only Itachi had the power of shattering his heart, and now…and now the man was dead. The Prince had killed him, and his heart had no reason to hate any more. He was just broken, half-alive, half-dead. He didn't have anything left. He tried to retreat into his own kingdom, and what he saw, was a sword, aimed at his chest, where his heart was.

"Why do you want to shatter my heart?" asked the prince.

"We cannot coexist with your crystal heart," said the sword, "As we are a shard of your heart. Either you withdraw us, or you return to how you used to be."

Withdraw or return? The prince didn't know what to do! He wanted to run away from all sadness, and just retreat, but the Kingdom had no more meaning. It was already starting to crumble. Within moments it had crumbled into the final shard, "Love", only tainted by his pain.

And he made a trek back to Konoha—to return to the woman who had given him this heart—and to get rid of the problem.

"But…you purified it." Sasuke said softly, running a hand along Sakura's cheek, a smile gracing his features.

He understood now.

It was all for his heart—and for that he would give away any kingdom he had.

Just for this woman before him.

Who had repaired the shards of his heart…

He leaned forward, brushing his lips against her cheek in a featherlight kiss, crawling in the blankets and wrapping an arm around her tiny, feminine form. He breathed deep, and took in the scent of cherry blossoms that seemed to permeate from her very aura, feeling his soul calm, just a little bit, despite his own racing heart.

"I love you, Uchiha Sakura." Sasuke's voice was hardly coherent, but he understood it.

They weren't married, but…

Uchiha Sakura.

It had a ring to it, didn't it?

After all, the prince had to marry someday, and live happily ever after.

Perhaps it was time to start that part of the story…

_:I'd give it all for a heart...If I was a King I would give away my Kingdom...Treasures and Crowns wouldn't mean a thing...If I only had a heart...If I only had a heart:_


End file.
